spinal cord Flashcards
spinal cord gross anatomy: define the terms nerve, nerve root and ramus; explain the relationship between spinal and vertebral levels and the clinical significance; define the cervical and lumbar enlargements and recall the spinal segments involved
how many pairs of spinal segments
31
how many pairs of spinal nerves and breakdown
31; 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 1 coccygeal
where do nerves leave the vertebral column through
intervertebral foramina (pair on either side for pair of nerves to leave)
where are spinal cord segment enlagerments and why
cervical (C3->T1) and lumbar (L1->S3) for innervation of the limbs as many more neurones in these regions
why is there a discrepancy between spinal levels and vertebral levels
can go up or down spinal level before leaving vertebral level; 7 cervical vertebrae but 8 cervical nerves (C1-C7 emerge above corresponding vertebrae; C8 comes from below C7 bone; from then on into thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal, all other nerve pairs come out below corresponding vertebrae); at top of vertebral column, where nerve emerges from spinal cord segment is close to vertebrae segment, but as you go down, nerves gradually get more angled and further away (more discrepancy)
